Canadian astronomers have captured the descent of a meteor on camera. They hope it will help them find the rare meteorite.

Early Wednesday morning, special cameras at Athabasca University and the University of Alberta caught the image of a fireball streaking across the Edmonton sky.

Astronomy Prof. Martin Connors holds the Canadian Research Chair in Space Science at Athabasca University. He said the meteorite was bright enough to suggest it may have survived its fiery descent.

One of the images of the meteor captured by the cameraCourtesy: Martin Connors

Scientists say the meteorite was headed toward Drayton Valley, west of the city. They're hoping to not only find a meteorite but to track its path through space to Earth.

But Connors told CBC Radio's As It Happens that given the meteor's flat path through the atmosphere, it may have bounced back out to space, or burned off.

About 50 meteorites have been found in Canada. Researchers have been able to pinpoint the cosmic origins of only six of them in the world.

Fourteen of the meteorites fell in Alberta, where there are large areas of clear ground. And since the terrain is covered in snow about six months of the year, it is easier to spot black meteorites.

Connors said knowing its origin could help astronomers to understand the structure of space matter and to track meteors that approach dangerously close to the Earth.

• RELATED STORY: Heavenly light turns out to be celestial trash

On Thursday, a ball of fire that streaked across the sky in southern British Columbia turned out to be just space debris.

Connors said the one spotted in Edmonton had a nice, smooth curve, which suggests it was a solid object rather than space junk.